October 2014

10/30/2014

es, it's been that kind of week. More tasks to wrestle with. More responsibilities to shoulder. More deadlines to fret about. And less time to take care of the things you want to do that helps make up for all the stuff you've got to do. Welcome to life in the post-Great Recession era. As Melissa my partner in footwear fanatacism and keen observer of life in general would say, "Gah!"

But I'm not going to go into detail. You, I'm sure, have had weeks like this one I'm living through yourself. And rather than read off my particular litany of grievances, I expect you'll have no problem filling in the blanks with some from your own experience.

What I can tell you, though is this. One of the reasons I let myself develop such a passion for shoes and an interest in the rest of the wardrobe to make those shoes shine is that it simply makes my day better. Why just the other day I was in my boss's office waiting to discuss a pending project, and while he was digging through his e-mail, I happened to glance down and see my vivid blue Lita platform booties (from Jeffrey Campbell) poking out beneath the bottom hem of my jeans. To my eyes they're a very cool shoe—I always love a covered platform—and the blunt toe with its richly colored leather and scuffed up edges just made me sigh a little inside. You know that excitement you feel when you first discover a pair of shoes that speaks to you? Well, that moment was like that. Except that I got to take those shoes and put them on my own feet and enjoy them throughout my day. My own little mental vacation. Kind of like a coffee break without the trip to Starbucks. I love the delight a favorite pair of shoes gives me. And I'm Melissa will second that emotion. She has her own endearing way of checking out whatever shoes she's wearing in the mirror. It's a ritual that I find adorable and impossible to replicate when I try to imitate it. But I can tell she's reveling in the unique pleasure that that day's footwear is providing her. And that's exactly the sort of mini-rush I like to give myself in between whatever wearing or wearying moments might crop up during the day.

Can I get an "Amen"?

With a properly stocked closet, you can go there every day. And I do. The day before the blue Litas it was my black Bailey knee-high boots from Kork-Ease with a pair of leather look leggings. The day before that it was my olive green Conviction lace up ankle boots from John Fluevog with a pair of olive green skinnies. And today as I sit here typing on my sofa, I've got my brown suede Lynneas from UGG on my feet. Every one of them a killer pair of shoes. And every one of them filled my time in them with so much satisfaction. Living well may be one way to have the best revenge. But I think wearing the right shoes can get you there, too!

(As if you needed evidence that fun was had.)

______________________________________

New Clogs from No. 6

OMG!

OMG!

OMG!

OMG!

It is enough to make a confirmed clog fan jump for joy.

Pay a visit to the recently refreshed listing of clogs on the No. 6 website and see for yourself!

______________________________________

Shoe Sale from Swedish Hasbeens (but only through Friday)

If you've been hanging around Every Clog Has Its Day for any length of time, you know the story of Swedish Hasbeens. Well-made shoes. Delightful designs. High prices. But now through October 31st you can scare up a pair of your own (sorry for the pun) for quite a bit less. Some styles are as cheap as US$109.00 (plus $45.00 shipping). Considering that some of the new Swedish Hasbeens designs are going for close to $400.00 including shipping, this could be a good time to put a pair of these in your fashion arsenal!

And you know I've got to take a moment to rave about at least one of their styles. My current crush is the Grandma Plateau. In burgundy. Mmm-mmmmmm! Once again having tall size feet has kept me from financial ruin!

______________________________________

New Clog Boots from Lotta from Stockholm

One of my reporters in the field has pointed me (and by extension you) to some new clog boots that have appeared on Lotta from Stockholm's web pages. Several Sanita styles are represented, but there are other makers on display, too. As Lotta writes at the top of the page I've linked you to,

Just the thought of choosing a new pair of Clog Boots makes the winter seem almost worthwhile. I get to have all this fun in June and July choosing which Clog Boots we are going to have for the coming winter and I just love the stock we have now. Some of them we have managed to hang on to by begging the manufacturers to make us some more, and some are brand new for this year from new manufacturers such as the Sidney from Maguba or the Lilly from Troentorp.

I'm always a sucker for a good product photo so the one at the top of their clog boots page has me wanting to order a couple pairs already.

______________________________________

Discount Coupon from Etsy seller aintweswank

A couple of posts back I spotlighted some vintage clogs that I had noticed on Etsy. Julie Bertling from the online shop aintweswank (Celebrating the deliciously different) was one of the vintage vendors I featured. She enjoyed browsing through my blog so much, she sent along this message:

Hi Lindsey,

I just wanted to let you know that I've made a discount coupon for you and your followers for 15% off any purchase. Your discount code is everycloghasitsday.

Woo-hoo! A chance to get stuff you want more cheaply! It's a beautiful thing!

And take a look at some of the styles she's just listed recently. (Keep in mind, the selection I show here is by no means exhaustive.)

I told you they looked huge from 10 stories up. Just the other day I got a chance to walk by them in person and see just how big they are. Of course, I totally spaced on including anything in the picture that would give you a sense of scale.

Let's just say they're about midway between your average grocery store pumpkin and the breed that won top prize last weekend at the York Maze Halloween Festival (as reported on itv.com).

10/19/2014

y favorite time of year! Autumn! When the warm knits come out of the closet and the tops and bottoms in textured fabric, suede, and leather get moved to the front of the rack and I can finally put the slip-ons back up on the shelf and devote my footwear focus on shoes that reach beyond my ankles. Can you tell I love the cooler weather?

My partner in clog craving and coveting, Melissa, shares that same affinity for those portions of the year when you don't have to calculate the heat index or the wind chill factor. And happily, the universe has smiled upon us in recent months and granted us successful shopping in order to step out in style as temperature falls. I'll share a style or two we've picked up in this week's post. And since we're not the only ones who've been lucky lately, we'll get an update from our correspondent in Australia who is working quite a few new goodies in the wardrobe as the weather in the southern hemisphere starts to warm.

One quick image to share: a view out the window of the studio where I spend my workdays now. This iPhone photo doesn't quite capture why this scene looked so noteworthy to me. It's just the sort of outdoor display one expects major downtown office buildings to present from season to season. What struck as remarkable me was the size of those pumpkins. Unfortunately, there's no one walking across the plaza to provide some perspective to judge by, but I can tell you that when I first saw them out my window they looked big even without a frame of reference. Since they look large, and I'm ten stories up, I'm to guess that they're bigger around than an average sized person. Click on the image to make it bigger. You'll see that those huge orange pumpkins are as big as the nearby trash receptacles! And with that in mind, I'm hoping you'd join with me for a collective, "Whoa!"

Let the holidays begin!

____________________________________

Clog sightings

New shoes for sale at various locations on the web. And who doesn't love a new pair of shoes?

Note to purists: Softclox specializes in shoes built on a flexible sole. There are wooden portions fore and aft where your feet come in contact with the inner sole, but those portions are mounted in a rubber outer sole that bends as you walk.

Scroll back a few posts for the full story on this Etsy seller who offers handmade clog boots at exceptionally reasonable prices. She ships not only to the U. S., but also to Australia as our fellow clog fan down under demostrates with pair treated with saddle oil.

____________________________________

More sightings in Australia

Music may be an international language, but sometimes I think clogs come a close second. That same regular reader in the southern hemisphere, Philip, is still passionately pursuing the most exceptional wood-soled shoes available. A round of applause for someone who regularly goes above and beyond for this blog!

Peggy Sue clog boot from Sanita

Arc Rainbow boot from John Fluevog

Ankle boot from London Underground

Platform boot from T. U. K.

____________________________________

Something new for the Wall of Infinite Pleasure

Have you ever shopped Poshmark? It's a web site dedicated to fashion followers who want to sell or trade their unwanted items. I've dawdled over their listings for a couple months now, but just last week I was inspired to type in a favorite brand and my size, and lo and behold, a couple of items that I had been keeping an eye out for on eBay popped up ready for purchase. Once you're signed up and signed in, you communicate with the seller via the conversation thread on the listing. You can ask size questions or offer to swap something you have listed for something they have listed. Best of all, there's a fixed shipping rate and you can use your credit card. Woo-hoo! Win/win. Or should I say, Win/win/win! 'Cause that's what I did with these Jeffrey Campbell Damsel Spike booties. In spite of their height, they turned out to be more comfortable than expected. I worked them at work on Friday and will probably put them into the rotation this coming week, too. Win/win/win/win!!!

10/13/2014

ust a typical week in the world of your friendly neighborhood clog blogger. I shopped for some clothes, but didn't buy anything. A new pair of shoes I ordered last week arrived. I went back to the store and bought some outfits anyway. I ordered another pair of shoes online—they should arrive next week. What else? Some chocolate was eaten. Some homemade cookies were baked. Music was played. Dinners were made. Workdays were worked. Melissa was kissed. All in all, a very satisfying seven days.

Highlights? I'd say the chocolate/Grand Marnier crepes for Saturday night dessert were the week's gustatory zenith. Close second: Sunday night's dinner, Chicken Jalfrezi, a tasty Indian dish that is always a crowd pleaser when I cook it. But then you can't really go far wrong when garlic, onion, and ginger are involved. The batch of Snickerdoodles I whipped up have proven themselves irresistible, too. I've lost count of how many have been consumed so far during the creation of this post. And I'm only on the second paragraph.

As for shoes I've known and loved in the past week, my co-conspirator in clog covetousness, Melissa, and I have decided that the Carberry clog boot from UGG is probably one of the most perfect shoes I've ever owned. It scratches all the right itches for me. Style. Substance. Sizzle. And solid wood. Factor in how well it goes with just about anything in my closet and you've got a shoe that is definitely an 11 on a scale from 1 to 10. Effortless perfection and unwavering satisfaction. What more could anyone want in a shoe? I know I raved about this shoe last week, but I just find it so pleasing, I'll probably bring it up a couple more times. Thanks for bearing with me when I do.

But that's not all that happened during my week. I also spotted a few things I wanted to share with you here. So let's get to it!

______________________________________

Wooden goodness on Etsy

I love the vintage finds that crop up on Etsy every few weeks or so. Yes, I've come across a few to add to my own collection over the years when the size is right. But when the shoe doesn't fit, I am content to look from afar and enjoy.

I never cease to be impressed by the innovative and tireless ways that this relative newcomer to the clog world manages to promote their exceptional shoes. Case in point: there are both a blog page on the Bryr Clogs website and a Tumblr page dedicated to those who own, wear, and love the shoes that bear their name. It's always fun to get a peek into the way other people live their lives. And when they're living those lives with our favorite footwear on their feet, I get a little surge of pride. There are some pretty interesting people who dig clogs. And with a visit to the Bryr Clogs blog, you can read about a woman who got married in clogs (her "something blue"), a woman who is a puppeteer and performance artist, a woman who matches her clogs to her lipstick, a ceramic artist who discovered Bryr on Instagram, and more. Talk about building customer loyalty! And drawing other potential customers into the Bryr orbit at the same time. It's been said that every picture tells a story. The photos just hint at the tales that go with them. Kudos again to Bryr owner and founder Isobel Schofield.

______________________________________

Another happy feiradebarcelos customer

I love my pair of clog boots from Etsy seller feiradebarcelos. And so does my partner and fellow clog lover, Melissa. So I ordered a pair for her, too! Please excuse the quality of my iPhone photos. Melissa can take amazing shots with her "Jesus phone," but whenever I take pictures it goes into "lousy image mode."

______________________________________

Enjoy having to wait for your shoes to be delivered while you can

Someday we'll be able to 3-D print them immediately instead.

You can read more about this fanciful pair of platform slides on the website for Wired. But don't scoff at the idea of wooden goodness you download and manufacture for yourself. 3-D wood printing is already a thing. One company is already crafting custom furniture using their own proprietary process. It won't be long before others in the industry tire of making fruit bowls and figurines and turn their hands to something really useful: clogs!

10/06/2014

gg! That was my mantra this past weekend. I flew to New York City to spend time with my kids in their first post college apartment, and I knew I'd need to pack for comfort as well as my own powerful passion for style. Over the months of traveling to see Melissa, my partner in footwear fanatacism, and to make side trips to other parts of the country, we've evolved our own shorthand for shoes that can be worn without regrets when one is out and about all day. I've got heels in my wardrobe and then I've got heels. Nearly all of them work well for a day at the office where the only legwork involved is a trip to and from the city garage with a few trips to the printer or the lunchroom thrown in to break up my time spent in my studio chair. But when the agenda for a day involves walking to a subway stop followed by walking to the bus followed by strolling through a gallery show followed by walking to a couple blocks to get something to eat, the time spent on your metatarsals starts to mount. Hence our codewords for our footwear options. We have our "spend a day in Manhattan" styles and our "going out to dinner only as long as we park near the restaurant" styles. This trip I knew I'd be meeting some of my kids' artist friends, and I felt like I couldn't let any of them down by showing up in sensible shoes. At the same time, I knew I couldn't afford to give myself ball-of-the-foot-burn or phalanges fatigue just for the sake of putting on a good show. So I took a good look at The Wall of Infinite Pleasure (the home display of our collective shoe arsenal) and soon an idea began to emerge. With an handful of fun-loving tops and an assortment of skinny jeans, I could make myself both comfortable and presentable on the streets of NYC with two pairs of shoes from one of my favorite clog makers. Ugg.

For the flight to LaGuardia, I did it up in denim with my Taryn wedge clog boot.

The rock and roll look must have served me well. Airport security directed me to the express line since I clearly was not trying to travel without attracting attention. I'd arrived at the terminal at 6:25 in the morning. By 6:35 I was at my gate. It brought back memories of the old days of air travel.

But in spite of how well this pair of Uggs fit my feet, I learned the hard way that they were not going to be an all day shoe. A lesson made even more difficult by the fact that I learned it around 2:00, and I was destined to be on my feet hitting the pavement 'til well after 6:00. I'm not one to complain, though. Especially if I love the outfit I'm wearing. So I struggled onward with the hope that tomorrow would be another day.

And happily, it was.

Black skinny jeans with my fun-loving top this time and my favorite new Carberry clog boots from Ugg, a shoe that ranks 11 out of 10 on the Every Clog Has Its Day scale of clog coolness.

This time around, my feet borrowed a string of phrases from Alex in A Clockwork Orange to sum up the pleasure of the experience: "Bliss! Bliss and heaven! Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh. It was like a bird of rarest-spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship!" I made it through all my commuter rail staircases and uneven city sidewalks and a modest-sized museum visit to boot. Yay! And what's more, I've got something to share with you from my day's journeys.

My daughter had suggested that during my visit we might want to take in the Brooklyn Museum's Killer Heels exhibit. I didn't even have to take a look at the subway poster advertisitng the even to be inspired to say, "Yes, please!"

And the more I read about it, the more I found myself eagerly anticipating our visit.

From the high platform chopines of sixteenth-century Italy to the glamorous stilettos on today’s runways and red carpets, the exhibition looks at the high-heeled shoe’s rich and varied history and its enduring place in our popular imagination.

As fashion statement, fetish object, instrument of power, and outlet of artistic expression for both the designer and the wearer, throughout the ages the high-heeled shoe has gone through many shifts in style and symbolism.

Happily the museum encouraged their attendees to take photos (no flash). And I was happy to document some of the wooden goodness on display. There was a lot more to see and enjoy. Enough stilettos and thigh-high boots to have grown men pre-occupied with their inner fantasies and enough wildly imaginative runway designs to have the smartly attired women in attendance hushed with never to be requited desire. Still, as I often say, we were fortunate enough to be able to look even if we couldn't touch. And just as I felt when I got to attend the David Bowie Is... opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago,...

...it was a moving experience to simply be in the presence of some of the iconic and historic footwear on display.

Fellow shoe lovers, feast yourselves on the eye candy the Brooklyn Museum's Killer Heels show has to offer!

A modern version of the Japanese tall geta worn by the oiran, the highest-ranking courtesans of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

"Rocking Horse Ballerina" by Vivienne Westwood.

"Super Elevated Gillies" by Vivienne Westwood. Yes, the very pair that brought down Naomi Campbell 21 years ago. (And which she conquered successfully just last year.)

Platform shoe by Pierre Hardy. Unfortunately not very well lit for the display. You can tell it from the image, but the bottom edge of the wooden platform is tinted a contrasting color. (Get a peek at what the shoe is supposed to look like on the eBay listing here.)

I'd like to blame the fact that I don't have information about this pair of shoes on the fact that my camera misfired. Instead it was a case of operator error. (I forgot to photograph the label for later reference.) I do recall that the main material for these platforms was "poplar wood." They definitely deserve to be listed on this blog!

"Pernilla, Look 5" from fashion artist Cat Potter, previously introduced to you on Every Clog Has Its Day here. Pay a visit to her own website to get an idea of how her fascinating creations engage with the human foot.

Of course, there was more than just wooden footwear on display. More than I could attempt to document here. But I will offer a couple of tantalizing creations. (Sorry. No pics of any of the shoes worn by Lady Gaga that were in the exhibit.)

"Nova" wedge pumps in chrome vinyl designed by Zaha Hadid for United Nude. A museum piece you can own if you're willing to forfeit your mortgage for a month. I notice that they're available currently from Luisaviaroma.

"Healing Fukishima (Nanohana Heels)" by artist and designer Sputniko! I'll let the label tell the rest of the story.

It was quite an exhibit. The only thing lacking was a virtual reality headset to allow vistors to try on and "vogue" in whichever of the shoes struck their fancy. I say it flippantly, but I'm sure such a thing will one day be part of the attraction. And to that I say, "Yes, please!"

_____________________________________

Meet Fryskes

It's a big internet out there. World wide from what I'm told. And that means there's always something new to discover and some new corner of it to explore. Just a few weeks ago I got an e-mail from Maryline Liabeuf who with her partner Marcel Andriessen have launched a fresh new line of wood-soled shoes. Because they're based in Friesland, a northwestern province of The Netherlands they find inspiring for its naturan beauty and pastoral charm, they've chosen to give their brand a name that translates from Dutch as "from Friesland."

Pay a visit to their website. You may be as impressed as I was by the innovative approach they've taken to a time-honored shoe. They've embraced sandals and slides and cutout wedges as central to their vision.

Baukje clog by Fryskes

Jildou clog by Fryskes

Doutsen clog by Fryskes

Welmoed clog by Fryskes

Nynke clog by Fryskes

Where so many clog makers hew to a traditional design for at least some of their merchandise, Maryline and Marcel have clearly chosen to march to the beat of a different drummer. Literally.

Percussionists Marcel Andriessen and Leticia Bal in performance at Laurentiuskerk Kimswerd. You can sample some of the music they make on Ms. Bal's own website.

I caught up with the other half of the Fryskes team by e-mail just a week or two ago and asked her to bring me fully up to speed on the Fryskes (pronounced FRISS-cuss) story.

___________________

ECHID: How did you get the idea to create Fryskes? They're such a playful variation on the traditional clog. What inspired you to create these fun shoes?

Maryline: When I finished ballet school (where I studied contemporary dance a long time ago), I discovered I didn’t have a hobby anymore. Dancing had become my job. As I am a shoe-addict I started to pursue an education to make shoes by hand for a few years. After my dancing and choreography career I decided to follow this second love. I started a shoe shop in the centre of Amsterdam and sold collections of a lot of Dutch designers as well as my own handmade collection. After 6 years I started studying to become an industrial footwear designer. I closed the shop and designed for a few brands.

Marcel’s story is different. He is by profession a musician (percussionist) and the son of a carpenter. He was always very interested in fashion and especially in shoes. So when he met me 15 years ago he was infected by the shoe virus as well and started to pursue an education to learn how to make them, too. We decided last April to start our brand together: Fryskes.

ECHID: You've said that your shoes are inspired by the landscape of Friesland and by the traditions and customs of its people. How do those things translate into the shoes you design?

Maryline: We just fell in love with Friesland, the landscape, people, nature, culture and wanted to live and work in this region. Having your own brand was a way to achieve this and expressing our love for Friesland. We were also missing the handcrafting. We love to think of a new style and make it with our own hands. It’s great to see people walking on clogs which came out of our own minds and hands!!

ECHID: The shape of your wood soles are refreshing and different. How did you come up with those particular designs?

Maryline: We were looking for a form that would be more elegant, fashionable. All the soles were inspired by Friesland. For instance: the style Baukje sole has a very big and round bum just like the Frisian horses.

Jildou has 2 pieces of glass glued together. It makes us think of ice. This refers to the so called very famous "Elfstedentocht”. It’s a race on ice. The route is about 200 km and leads through 11 cities of Friesland.

It’s very rare to be able to organise this race because the ice needs to be very thick to hold all the thousands of fans who want to skate this terribly cold and tiring race! On the ice it says: "Giet it oan?" Which means will the race go on?

The sole of the Welmoed refers to the farmland we see a lot here in Friesland, the ripples of the sole remind me of the acres.

And all our styles have been named after Frisian women we know in the village where we work.

ECHID: What is it about Friesland that you're communicating to the world with these clogs?

Maryline: It’s about being able to see the horizon. Our little country is flat and very crowded except for the North. There is a lot of space, no forest, only a dike and grassland, a few villages. The landscape is minimal, skies are magnificent, the effect of space gives me a happy and free feeling. I can’t explain exactly. Either you find it dull or you love it. There’s nothing in between.

ECHID: Your website teases us with a glimpse of a Fryskes clog boot. Tell me more!

Maryline: At the moment we are still very busy to make a new winter bootie. It’s not finished yet, we were not totally satisfied with the first prototype so we just keep working until we find the best style/comfort solution.

We just finished a series of slip-on clogs called "Pompebled”.

The buckle has the same form of the heart formed leaves of the Frisian flag.

These are the leaves of a plant which we see a lot in Friesland and in Holland. In English it’s called Yellow Pond-lily.

The nose of the clog has a little point as we see in the folklore. We wanted to refer to that, and we were looking to add something funny. This how the Pompebled clog was born.

ECHID: I've never seen wooden soles as unique as the ones on your Fryskes. How did you get a wood sole maker to craft so many unusual styles?

Maryline: We made ourselves the prototypes and after looking for a long time we found a company in Portugal. We tried to produce them in The Netherlands, but nobody wanted to make them: too difficult or too expensive or too different.

ECHID: One final question: You offer free shipping in Europe, but I have readers in the United States, Australia, South Africa, and elsewhere. Do you ship internationally?

Maryline: Yes. The cost is 25€.

After all of that, what can I say, but, "Woo-hoo!" I love how the internet brings fans of wooden goodness closer and closer!